Kitchener versus Guelph.
The winner gets to host the 2027 Memorial Cup.
If only it was that easy.
K-town and the Royal City are the two towns left standing to host junior hockey’s marquee event.
The winning city, which is expected to be announced next month, will be selected based on a variety of criteria such as rink, business plan, community support and hockey operations, among other things.
The host also must ice a competitive team.
And, as rosters stand now, the Rangers seem to have a leg up.
The Blueshirts proved it with a 6-1 beat down over the Storm at the Aud on Tuesday night.
It was the most lopsided win for the Rangers, who improved to 6-2-1-0, on the young season.
To be frank, it was long overdue.
Kitchener came into the campaign with some helium and has done well but, until Tuesday, had yet to flash the dominance of a squad laden with eight NHL draft picks.
It sure didn’t feel good for the home side early on.
Guelph’s Leo Serlin beat Kitchener keeper Christian Kirsch for a quick 1-0 lead just 70 seconds into the affair.
The Rangers looked fatigued and mustered just three shots in the frame.
But boy, did they settle down in the second stanza.
The club erupted for five markers.
Jack Pridham tallied on a short-handed breakaway and on the power play. Christian Humphreys completed a pretty tick-tack-toe passing play. And a streaking Luca Romano cashed from the slot for his first in five games.
And don’t forget rookie Avry Anstis.
The fourth-liner pinched low in the Storm zone to force a turnover, shot the puck off a sprawling ߲ݴýdefenceman and deposited the deflection with a beautiful backhander for his first career OHL goal.
And, just like that, it was 5-1 Rangers.
“It just feels great,” said the 17-year-old. “My parents are going to be so proud. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
It was just the ninth career OHL game for Anstis, who spent most of last season with the Listowel Cyclones in the Greater Ontario Hockey League.
“I got the puck (after the game),” said the Pittsburgh native. “My mom is probably going to want to put it in my room back at home.”
Frustration, understandably, boiled over later in the game and Kitchener rookie Weston Cameron dropped the mitts with Guelph’s Carter Stevens in one of many spirited bouts.
Cameron got the upper hand but that’s his third fight this season. He’ll get a two-game suspension the next time he engages.
Of note, Kitchener’s penalty kill, which was second worst in the OHL heading into the match, was a perfect six for six and is getting back to respectability at 74.4 per cent.
“We were a really good team on the PK last year and we want to be this year too,” said Rangers head coach Jussi Ahokas. “We have been struggling a little bit on it but in the last couple of games it has been going in a better direction.”
Kirsch made 18 saves and turned in his second straight solid start to improve to 4-1 this season while defenceman Jakub Chromiak rounded out the scoring.
It was impressive stuff.
And, if the Canadian Hockey League’s Memorial Cup selection committed was watching, it had to be impressed.
The Rangers host London on Friday night at the Aud and complete the home-and-home series with the Knights Sunday at Canada Life Place.
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